I am a first year doctoral student in the International Education program. Coming from a family of educators, the value of education was instilled in me at a young age. I earned a BA in English Teaching from The University of Montana, and I started my professional career as a high school English Language Arts teacher for at-risk youth.

My research interests focus on gender, education, and international development in the “Global South,” especially in the context of Africa.  As a first-generation college student, my academic journey, especially after I completed my secondary education was not easy.  My personal experiences together with my academic journey and professional practice largely contributed to my interest in this area.

I am currently a Ph.D. student at CIE/IE focusing on international comparative higher education and peace education. I have B.A. in English Language and Literature from Kabul Education University and M.S. in Human Resources from Golden Gate University in San Francisco where I held a Fulbright Scholarship.

With my BA in Gender Studies and my Masters in Philosophy, I thought I was adequately prepared to take on the world. My teaching experiences in Pakistan, Thailand and Mexico however, proved to me that I had to figure out a way to take the knowledge I had and put it into practice, working within the frameworks of various cultures, religions and languages.

After graduating from Connecticut College with a double major in Philosophy and Hispanic Studies in 2010, I spent the summer in Cambodia getting my TESOL certification for teaching abroad. My time in Southeast Asia led me to develop a love of working internationally. Later that year I moved to Montana for the snowy winters and spent my summers teaching English across the globe and setting up international exchange programs for high school students.